SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC QUOTE GENERATION
Accurate quotes can be generated using a dynamic approach to obtaining information. A set of questions can be generated to be displayed to a user. At least some of the questions can be evaluative questions, such that when an answer is received that answer is analyzed and the set of questions can be updated based upon the answer as determined by various business rules, etc. Once all answers are obtained, the answers are analyzed using a database of quote information and a set of quotes can be generated automatically. Information such as the carrier for each quote can be withheld such that the user is not able to independently use the quote to buy a product or service, and a user also can be prevented from going back and changing answers to the various questions in order to adjust the quotes displayed.
1 . A method of providing quote information from at least one of multiple entities, comprising:
selecting a first set of questions to be displayed to a user, the first set of questions including at least one evaluative question;
receiving input from the user in response to at least a portion of the first set of questions;
for each evaluative question, analyzing the input for that question and updating the set of questions to be displayed to the user;
once input has been received for each question in the updated set of questions, analyzing the input using at least one business rule to determine quote information for at least one of the multiple entities; and
generating the quote information for display to the user.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sorting the quote information to be displayed to the user using confidence information.
3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
each evaluative question corresponds to a node of a question hierarchy, and
certain branches of the question hierarchy include questions that are only added to the set of questions based upon a specific answer to a respective evaluative question.
4 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein:
each branch includes at least one of an evaluative question and an non-evaluative question.
5 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the quote information and the user input for future analysis.
6 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a progress level of the user after receiving input from the user; and
causing the progress level to be displayed to the user.
7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the quote information includes a set of classes each used in determining a rate.
8 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling a user to update questions able to be presented to the user; and
enabling the user to specify dependencies for each question in a hierarchy of questions.
9 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling the user to submit the information to at least one of the entities to receive a specific quote from that entity.
10 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
withholding at least a portion of the quote information from the user such that the user is not able to independently use the quote information to purchase a product or service.
11 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
restricting a user from changing an answer to any of the updated set of questions after having the quote information displayed.
12 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring accuracy of the quote information over time.
13 . A system for providing quote information from at least one of multiple entities, comprising:
a processor; and
a storage medium including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
select a first set of questions to be displayed to a user, the first set of questions including at least one evaluative question;
receive input from the user in response to at least a portion of the first set of questions;
for each evaluative question, analyze the input for that question and updating the set of questions to be displayed to the user;
once input has been received for each question in the updated set of questions, analyze the input using at least one business rule to determine quote information for at least one of the multiple entities; and
generate the quote information for display to the user.
14 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein the storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
cause certain questions to only be added to the set of questions based upon a specific answer to a respective evaluative question, each evaluative question corresponding to a node of a question hierarchy.
15 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein the storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine a progress level of the user after receiving input from the user; and
cause the progress level to be displayed to the user.
16 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein the storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
enable the user to submit the information to at least one of the entities to receive a specific quote from that entity.
17 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein the storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
withhold at least a portion of the quote information from the user such that the user is not able to independently use the quote information to purchase a product or service.
18 . A computer program product embedded in a computer-readable medium for providing quote information from at least one of multiple entities, comprising:
program code for selecting a first set of questions to be displayed to a user, the first set of questions including at least one evaluative question;
program code for receiving input from the user in response to at least a portion of the first set of questions;
program code for analyzing the input for each evaluative question and updating the set of questions to be displayed to the user;
program code for, once input has been received for each question in the updated set of questions, analyzing the input using at least one business rule to determine quote information for at least one of the multiple entities; and
program code for generating the quote information for display to the user.
19 . A computer program product according to claim 18 , further comprising:
program code for causing certain questions to only be added to the set of questions based upon a specific answer to a respective evaluative question, each evaluative question corresponding to a node of a question hierarchy.
20 . A computer program product according to claim 18 , further comprising:
program code for determining a progress level of the user after receiving input from the user; and
program code for causing the progress level to be displayed to the user.